Home
by Illogical1
Summary: AU in which Bucky's only been captured by HYDRA for a few years before HYDRA's demise. Now the Winter Soldier is free and drawn to the streets of Brooklyn searching for 'home'. Also, Steve never became Captain America.


**Author's Note: I have written this based on a picture someone drew on Pinterest. I unfortunately have no idea who this person is and therefore cannot give credit where it is due. If the artist reads this and would like credit, please let me know and I will give it.**

 **Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.**

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Home

It was finally over. HYDRA was finished. His handlers were all dead and there was no base to return too. The Soldier had nothing, the Soldier was no one. He was never trained to camouflage into society. He didn't even understand that he had to feed himself to survive. But deep in his bones, written into his DNA, the pull of home called. The Soldier didn't know why or how, but he knew that if he ever wanted peace, he would find it in the streets of Brooklyn.

Slowly, the Soldier pickpocketed his way across Europe, learning and remembering vague snippets as he went. After watching people interact for several days, and feeling the pain in his stomach grow, the Soldier learned that humans required sustenance to survive. This puzzled him, because he was always told he wasn't human, though he looked the same (besides his metal arm) as his handlers. To satisfy his hunger, the Soldier took to stealing leftovers and digging through trash cans, making sure to keep out of sight at all times.

To get across the ocean, the Soldier snuck into the cargo hold of a large cargo ship with a very small crew. He made the journey without detection, which he was grateful for. The ship docked in the Upper Bay area of Brooklyn, amazingly. All the Soldier had to do was sneak off and he was literally home free. He waited until night fall, when the crew had left the boat for the night before jumping ship.

Walking down the streets of Brooklyn was like a dream. He both remembered it and didn't remember it at all. This sense of déjà vu unsettled the Soldier. He wandered down the streets and kept looking in alleyways. Never quite sure what he was searching for. The Soldier wandered well into the early morning hours, when the sun was just starting to peek, when he realized that he had no idea what to do next. He had made it to Brooklyn, but now what?

His body was screaming at him to rest and his eyes were drooping. The Soldier decided that he could sleep a little, before discovering his purpose here. With that last thought, the Soldier scaled a rickety fire escape in a secluded neighborhood. When he reached the top of the fire escape, the stretched as far as he possibly could and fell into the best sleep he could remember.

When the Soldier awoke, he knew immediately that something was wrong. He was in a strange bed, in a room that gave him the déjà vu again and there was someone else in the apartment. Slowly sitting up, the Soldier found that he was still bone tired and hungry. Maybe wherever he was, someone would help him?

Using his voice that was rough from years of in use the Soldier rasped out, "Hello?"

The Soldier didn't know what he was expecting, but the small, frail blonde both was and wasn't it. Seconds after he called out the tiny blonde came rushing in, a little whirlwind of emotions. He sat right next to the Soldier in the bed by the chair, clearly wanting to touch, but waiting for permission.

They stared at each other in disbelief and confusion for several long moments before the Soldier finally broke the silence. "Where am I?"

The tiny blonde gave a pained expression before answering, "Our apartment, in Brooklyn."

"Why did I come here?"

"Its home, Bucky, you came back home."

"My name is Bucky?" The Soldier, no _Bucky_ asked new memories starting to fill his head.

"Yes your name is Bucky and my name is-"

"-Steve, your name is Steve." Steve gave a watery smile, his first real smile in years.

"Yeah, Buck, I'm Steve."

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 **There you have it! Again, I would love to give credit to the artist! Please let me know!**


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